Abstract

TOPIC – DETECTION OF PHLEBOVIRUS BY USING QUALITATIVE REAL TIME (RT) - PCR AND APPLICATION OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES TO CONTROL IT

*Gayoor Khan, Umama Yezdani, Rohit Verma, Raqshan Jabeen and Pradeep Sintha

ABSTRACT

The phlebovirus (family- bunyaviridae) is an enveloped negative strand RNA virus with tripartite genome. A method quantifying the small RNA segment by real time detection reverse transcriptase (RT-PCR) using Taqman technology and targeting the targeting the nonstructural protein coding region was developed and used successfully in-vitro from plasmid sample consisting of RVFV infected Vero cell. It was also useful in detecting RVFV in animal sera and also the efficiency of drugs (ribavirin, alpha interferon, and 6-azauridine) for antiviral activity. This was initially evaluated in animals and then on human samples also. The potential antiviral activity of silver nanoparticles formulated as Argovit against RVFV tested on Vero cell culture and type I IF receptor deficient mice by 2 methods was carried out (1) In–vitro: different dilutions of Argovit were administered to animal infected with a lethal dose of virus or to previously infected cells. (2) In-vivo: Viruses were pre-incubated with Argovit in different dilutions before inoculated in cell/mice. The ability of silver nanoparticle to control RVFV was limited but the incubation of virus with argovit before the infection reduced the infectivity titers.

Keywords: RT-PCR, silver nanoparticles, animal are sera, Argovit, RVFV.